Acute respiratory distress syndrome in leptospirosis

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a major complication of leptospirosis, leading to the majority of fatalities.

Retrospective, descriptive and single-center cohort study. The primary outcome was the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) for ARDS in leptospirosis based on the quartiles of the SAPS2 score in the reference population of 1683 patients hospitalized for ARDS. The second outcomes were to determine the risk factors of mortality of ARDS in leptospirosis and to describe the cases requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

Of 172 leptospirosis patients from January 2004 to October 2017, 39 (23%) presented a moderate or severe ARDS with a mortality rate of 23% (9 cases). Among patients with ARDS, the SMR with regards to Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was 0.49 (CI95%: 0.21; 0.96). Risk factors associated with mortality found by bivariate analysis were Severity Acute Physiology Score II (p = 0.01), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (p = 0.01), base excess (p = 0.002), kaliemia (p = 0.004), bilirubinemia (p = 0.01) and level of aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.01). Eight patients underwent ECMO for refractory ARDS and six survived.

Leptospirosis can induce serious but transient ARDS with a better prognosis than that of other causes of ARDS. Several patients have been successfully treated with ECMO.